Defacing National Parks

fj12ryder wrote:

toedtoes wrote:

MNGeeks61 wrote:
"A quick glimpse at the handiwork by Nocket, the goblin topplers or the hundreds of tourist names inscribed on the rockface below will demonstrate that some people just don't get the idea of leaving a place better than when you found it."

I was thinking it was generational too...how many of us here were taught this lesson? Or better yet: "It's not my property, I will not deface it."

It's not generational. People have been marking trees, rocks, etc., forever. Regardless of whose property it's on. People have been taking home "souvenirs" of rocks, petrified wood, etc., forever.

Laws about it have been made because it's been a problem for a long time and has been shown to destroy the value of the parks - not because this generation has no respect.

Very true, there are places where members of the Roman legions carved their names into and onto cave and building walls. Ramses II had his cartouche carved into columns and buildings over older carvings.

Don't take the above statement as tacit approval of what that person has done. I hate graffiti in almost all places, but especially on places that are still pristine.

I was in Yellowstone Nat'l Park in the late 70's and watched a trailer stop at a turnoff, and a woman got out, broke off a large piece of calcite, this was near some hot springs, and hopped back into the vehicle and away they went. I was stunned.

The one that affected me the most was when I saw the Titanic exhibit. They had the replica of the iceberg on display and people of all ages were carving their names into the ice. I actually cried seeing them get excited about writing their names on what was truly a representation of so many deaths. I thought then and still think today that our society has lost empathy (all ages).